For South African-born Tayla and Mitchell Sabido, a $425,000 beachside block in Jindalee – 40 kilometres north of Perth – isn’t just a purchase. It’s the moment their migrant journey truly anchored in Australia.
After nearly a decade of planning and nine years teaching in Vietnam, the couple arrived in WA nine months ago and set about building a life, laying down roughly $70,000 as a deposit and mapping a careful path to home ownership.
Their plan started in their 20s with a gap year in Vietnam, where they fell in love with teaching and studied further.
With teaching recognised on Australia’s skills shortage list, the profession became their bridge to settle here, smoothing their move and job prospects.
Living in Asia kept costs low and savings high.
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Mitchell and Tayla, 31 and 30, bought land in Perth after spending 10 years saving. Source: Supplied by Taylor Sabido/ Yahoo News
Working at international schools, they earned solid wages while keeping overheads down – a combination Tayla says made saving “a lot simpler”.
“Because the cost of living was so affordable, we were able to put away basically half of our salary every month, and we were still able to travel,” she told Yahoo News.
“I could see why people would struggle with (buying a home) when you (live in Australia).”
The lower cost of living meant they could bank about half their pay each month, invest steadily, and still travel.
Once in Australia, they kept that discipline to find their feet.
Rather than settling in the city – which they preferred and could afford – they chose a cheaper rental, saving about $500 a week.
They swapped Woolworths for their local Aldi to stretch the grocery budget, and funnelled every extra dollar into their deposit as they learned the rhythms of life in Perth’s north.
Making a home in Australia
Tayla’s Australian goal was set early, inspired by a childhood friend who moved from South Africa to the land Down Under.
After meeting Mitchell at university, it became their shared ambition, even if at the time it felt out of reach.
To get there, they prioritised needs over wants, cutting back on eating out, delaying buying a car, and dialling down travel.
The couple spent nine years living in Vietnam before moving to Perth nine months ago. Source: Supplied by Taylor Sabido/ Yahoo News
“Sometimes you are going to have to sacrifice things you really love. For us, that was going on holiday every two months. I think that made our dream of eventually moving to Australia possible,” Tayla told Yahoo News.
She’s frank about the housing crunch.
“We couldn’t imagine doing it if we were single,” she said, adding that a dual‑income household and complete transparency about money made their strategy work.
The couple sat down regularly to map budgets, track spending and re‑set goals, a routine that helped them settle and plan with confidence.
A ‘starter’ build to put down roots
With the block secured, the Sabidos have opted to play it safe.
Rather than the dream double‑storey, they’re likely to choose a smaller, single‑storey design to keep costs down and avoid overcapitalising – a pragmatic step towards belonging and stability in their new home country.
The couple now live happily in Perth where they plan to build a house. Source: Supplied by Taylor Sabido
“It’s a starter home, it’s probably not going to be our forever home,” Tayla said.
“For us, simple is best, and it’s simple things that truly make you feel like you’re home.”
For other couples making the move or trying to settle in, their message is clear: be brutally honest about your budget, automate saving where possible, and back long‑term goals over short‑term wants.
As their Jindalee build gets underway, the Sabidos say the relief is real – and, as new Australians, the feeling of home is finally within reach.
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